What Is the Latest Star Fox Game? (And Why It's Been So Long)

Star Fox is a rail shooter, space flight simulation, and third-person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published by Nintendo. In spite of this, it has been some time since the company released any new Star Fox titles. This has made gamers ask: When was the last Star Fox? In this article, we will determine the latest Star Fox version and why it has taken this long.

The Last Official Star Fox Game: Star Fox Zero (2016)

Star Fox Zero is a rail shooter game developed by PlatinumGames and Nintendo, and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2016. It is the sixth main game in the Star Fox series.

The game was officially announced at E3 2015 and was released in April 2016. It is a remake of Star Fox 64. A companion tower defense game, Star Fox Guard, was also included with the game.

However, Star Fox Zero has received mixed critical reception upon its release. These range from praise for its level design and graphics to criticism for its shortness and the absence of structural progression. The structure of the game has also been criticized when compared to other Star Fox games in relation to its control scheme.

Star Fox Guard: The Overlooked Spin-off

With the release of Star Fox Zero, Nintendo also released a spin-off titled Star Fox Guard. Star Fox Guard is a tower defense spin-off that features new gameplay within the Star Fox series.

Rather than piloting ships, players in Star Fox Guard assume the role of defending mining bases belonging to Slippy's uncle, Grippy Toad, using a choice of 12 security cameras. The aim of this round is to protect the mining core from waves of robot assailants by switching between viewpoints and eliminating baddies before they reach their destination. 

There are two main modes:

• Main Game: Each of the various mining bases in the Lylat System is navigated by the player, obtaining new missions, camera modes, and cosmetic options along with repelling more advanced robot assaults.

• World Rivals: In this online version of the game, players can compete for high scores and exchange custom invasion teams to play against for others, giving the game replay value and a competitive flavor.

Why Hasn't There Been a New Star Fox Since?

Since the launch of Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard back in 2016, everyone has been eagerly expecting an official reveal of a sequel. But nearly a decade down the line, the series remains shelved, with no new game officially announced. Several good reasons have been forwarded as the reason for cancellation:

1. Mixed reception of Star Fox Zero

Even though it was widely anticipated because of PlatinumGames and Shigeru Miyamoto's involvement, the game was panned for its unorthodox controls. Namely, the game made players use the Wii U GamePad to aim, which confused and frustrated the majority. Moreover, the level design was described as "slow" and "empty", not as thrilling and spectacular as the series. 

2. Wii U’s commercial failure likely reduced long-term plans

The Wii U console itself didn't sell as well as some of Nintendo's other consoles and had a weak install base. This restricted the potential market for Star Fox Zero and was one of the reasons that it didn't sell so well.

Furthermore, Nintendo has always prioritized its highest-selling franchises and consoles. Therefore, the failure of both the Wii U and Star Fox Zero would have discouraged short-term investment in any future Star Fox games.

3. Rumors of new entries or remakes

Despite its cancellation years ago, there has never been an end to the rumors of reviving the franchise. There have been reports of Nintendo working on a new game for Star Fox, even on the next-gen Switch.

There have been rumors of a remake of Star Fox Adventures, GameCube's 2002 title. Such rumors, yet to be officially confirmed, suggest that Nintendo has not lost all faith in the franchise and might be working on a comeback.

"Nintendo is also apparently still trying to find out how to balance the new game as a sequel and a reboot, since it would be the first 'Star Fox' game in nearly a decade”. Zippo wrote that 'Star Fox' could also become part of Nintendo's 'overall multimedia strategy.'

Will There Be Another Star Fox?

As of April 2025, Nintendo has not officially announced a new Star Fox game since Star Fox Zero in 2016. However, there are positive indications that the franchise will make a comeback in the near future.

Official Nintendo Plans

There are also rumors that Nintendo may be developing an in-house new Star Fox game, tentatively rumored to debut on the release date of the next-generation Switch 2 console. This would mark the first in-house Star Fox game since Star Fox 64.

Spiritual Successor: Wild Blue

Chuhai Labs, a small indie development company founded by Giles Goddard, a programmer who created the original SNES Star Fox, has just announced a successor called Wild Blue.

• Wild Blue is an on-rails space shooter that closely approximates much of the retro Star Fox experience, from the anthropomorphic pilots to air-to-air dogfighting, boss battles, and pastel-hued scenery reminiscent of the Lylat System.

• Wild Blue was revealed at the Humble Games Showcase 2025 and comes to PC (Steam) this time around. Releases on Nintendo platforms sometime down the line are mentioned as a prospect by the developers.

So, all we can know from this article about "When was the last Star Fox?" is that Star Fox Zero, which was released in 2016, is the latest game in the series. The long gap between new games is because of a mix of Nintendo focusing on other series, the split reaction to Zero's controls, and that it's hard to innovate with the formula of the series. Its future relies on Nintendo's willingness to come back to the Lylat System with fresh concepts giving respect to its roots but stimulating a new community.

Follow Fendory for more updates on Star Fox. Browse our fully licensed Star Fox merchandise collection while waiting for its return.

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